Let’s cut to the chase: Auckland is trendy. Like, uber trendy. The people, the cafes, the boutiques – all extraordinarily trendy. Even the homes dotted along tree-lined residential streets are – you guessed it – trendy. So what do you have to do with two days in Auckland? I’m glad you asked!
I recently spent a number of days in Auckland to bring to you this very trendy guide to Auckland, New Zealand. And while I feel 4 days was perhaps an excessive amount of, I might say two days is the proper period of time to explore the town and take in the highlights. So with that, here’s my guide to Auckland!
The World of Wanderlust Guide to Auckland
For starters, this wasn’t my first visit to Auckland. I’ve been a handful of times to go to considered one of my best friends who lived here pre-pandemic. Every time my friend would show me latest cafes, boutiques and areas to explore, nonetheless since she rellocated to Los Angeles, I visited Auckland this 12 months for the primary time without her as my guide.
For me, Auckland is at all times stuffed with inspiration. The city has quite the popularity for being the design, cultural and foodie hub of New Zealand. Sure, Wellington is a keen contender – especially where food and drinks are concerned. But if you happen to’re on the lookout for a city that has all of it (including great summers), Auckland is your top alternative.
Eat your way through Ponsonby
To start your Auckland adventure, I highly recommend starting your day on Ponsonby Road. This is where one can find lots of Auckland’s best cafes, bakeries, bars and boutiques. And once you’re finished exploring Ponsonby, you possibly can at all times enterprise on foot to nearby Karangahape Road ( “K road”), which is equally stuffed with great spots and has a rather grungier feel to it.
Don’t miss these top picks:
Duck Island Ice Cream – the O.G. Ice Creamery on Ponsonby Rd. An area’s favourite.
Little Bird – A really vegan eatery with delicious healthy bites (and lunch menu!)
Superette – A luxury concept store stuffed with international and native designers. The focus is principally on fashion, but there’s an incredible number of homewares and sweetness/wellness products as well.
WORLD – A mostly French parfumerie with bougie candles and high fashion pieces.
Cake & Co – A tiny little hole within the wall cake shop. Perfect if you will have something to rejoice!
Little & Friday – A small cafe with great takeaway savouries and sweet treats. This was considered one of the cafes my friend Sophie and I used to frequent (and it’s just pretty much as good as I remember).
Shopping in Ponsonby
As I discussed earlier, Ponsonby is filled with designer threads, small boutiques and concept stores. There are tonnes of retailers to explore and so they’re best visited on foot, so I might advise you park somewhere nearby in a residential street or snag a parking lot on the important street if you happen to can, and provides yourself no less than a number of hours to explore the road in its entirety.
Visit Bluebell’s Bakery
Once you’ve finished exploring Ponsonby, it’s time to park up at Bluebell’s Bakery for a caffeine hit and a few sweet treats. This was considered one of my favourite bakeries I visited on this trip and it’s a straightforward one to go to as there may be parking right out front. The lemon curd cupcake was a standout, plus you possibly can watch the baking team at work through the viewing window.
Cafe hop around town at these top spots
Speaking of bakeries, I visited quite a number of on this trip! As lots of you already know I recently opened my latest bakery Brooki Bakehouse in Brisbane, so trying out Auckland’s thriving baking scene was high on my agenda. There are too many great bakeries and cake stores in Auckland to call all of them, so I’ll do you a favour and just include my top picks.
Catroux – A fab little find with incredible vegan and dairy free cake options.
The Caker – Once the preferred cake shop in Auckland and still considered one of the highest contenders. I walked away with a cook book as well for future inspiration!
Magnolia Kitchen – You’ll must hire a automotive to achieve this one nevertheless it is definitely definitely worth the extra effort if you happen to love bakery hopping as much as I do. The team at Magnolia also do retail treats now, so if you happen to would really like to try their goodies but don’t wish to endure the ride, find a neighborhood stockist on the town as a substitute.
Ripe Deli – The best take away lunch spot in Auckland, hands down. This deli is filled with sweet and savoury treats, plus a lot of healthy salads and wraps. The perfect place to grab a packed lunch before a road trip!
